Entropy
by Pride's Downfall
Summary: Ruby is oddly enamored with energy nobody else can see, Weiss can't find the slightest ounce of logic in her team, Blake is content to watch everyone else trip over themselves, and Yang worries too much. Meanwhile across the hall JNPR is busy exploding things. And why does Ruby's cape regenerate itself when nobody's looking? Ozpin thinks Glynda knows, but she's not telling.
1. Prologue - Pressure

**Entropy**

 **Prologue - Pressure**

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing of RWBY, and I regretfully am not gathering any sort of monetary compensation for this work. Both of those rights belong to Rooster Teeth.

* * *

"Ruby?" inquired Weiss harshly.

The crimson-haired girl in question looked up from the thin but clearly ancient tome in her lap, her silver eyes slowly flashing in the soft light of their dorm room. "Er… yes, Weiss?"

"What the _fuck_ is entropy?"

* * *

Hair flaming gently, the young girl crept quietly through the darkened forest, the handle of a small red wagon in her off hand. Her primary held a torch, held out in front to ward off the rapidly thickening shadows. The creaking of the wagon's wheels were, strangely, the only sound besides the crunching of the flame-girl's footsteps. A light breeze wound crossways through the path, but not the slightest breath from it could be heard.

The creaking stopped as the flame-girl's feet did the same. A small slip of paper, previously held in hand with the torch, fell to the ground as the flame-girl and her companion arrived before a small, decrepit hut. Wreathed in yet more shadow, now starting to shift slightly, the hut loomed above the young Yang.

Yang looked up, desperately searching for any next clue, flames now fully wreathing her hard, determined face. _Mom…_

She jerked back at a sudden creak from within the dark hut, causing the wagon to creak loudly. Footfalls could now be heard, and a bright flash from her Semblance, courtesy of her panic, illuminated her surroundings even as the torch was blown out by the now-howling wind.

Yang turned and ran back along the path with the wagon, tears starting to leak from her screwed-up eyes. _Scared…!_

"Yang…?"

Horror welled up within her chest.

"Go back to sleep, Ruby." Yang's voice broke at her dear sister's name.

The pale, crimson-adorned sprite within the wagon sat up slowly, heedless of the bouncing of the wagon.

"Why, sis? What's going on? Did you find-" A black blur erupted across Yang's vision, upending the wagon and tossing Ruby further along the pathway. Ruby started to stand, her tiny frame barely upright before the shadow pounced, claws extended towards her just as her silver eyes started to widen with the realization of the fate soon to befall her.

* * *

Ruby sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. _The old nightmare,_ she reflected. Never had she forgotten the day she and Yang ventured out into the woods near their home, tracking Yang's long-lost mother. It was a taboo topic between the two of them, and Uncle Qrow respected the tale in much the same way – caution, fear, and a hint of relief that the misadventure had not resulted in worse for either sister.

Now quite fully awake, the adrenalin from her previously terrified state keeping her active, Ruby surveyed her room, focusing on the energies of the air around her and the sounds outside. Dawn was just breaking, and between summer's dawn being around half past seven and the fact that Yang hadn't yet barged in whilst loudly announcing the start of the new day indicated it was probably just before eight.

 _A bit of time to collect myself, then. I wish the old nightmare hadn't followed me to Signal like this. Hopefully when Yang leaves to Beacon next month I'll be able to cope. It's always worse when she's not around._

* * *

Though she mightn't have realized it, Ruby wouldn't have the nightmare again for two more years.

* * *

 **A/N:** It's been absolutely ages since I've written. Hopefully I'll be able to pull of some interesting world/story-building within the wonderful realm of Remnant, and give the cast a couple of... ah... fun! ...experiences along the way. However, fair warning, this will be suitably AU! That being said, welcome to **Entropy**!


	2. Siegfried

**Entropy**

 **Siegfried**

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing of RWBY, and I regretfully am not gathering any sort of monetary compensation for this work. Both of those rights belong to Rooster Teeth.

* * *

 _Just two more years until Beacon,_ thought Ruby excitedly. She casually strolled through Vale's surface streets, enjoying the city's presence and the cool night air. Her goal? From Dust Till Dawn, a popular dust shop near enough to Signal's coastal dust plane terminal to be within the student body's boundaries, but far enough to provide and interesting foray into greater Vale.

The hooded girl stretched languidly as she walked the half-dozen blocks into the heart of the city, her customary weapon a comfortable weight at her hip. The flight out of Patch wasn't lengthy, but the ride symbolized (rather physically) the cramped sensation of spending years training on the small island. It was nice to come into the city once in a while, if only to spread out into the environment some.

 _Ah, there it is._

Ruby opened the door and stepped into the shop, tripping slightly over the elevated doorframe, her styled red headphones slipping from around her head. _Tch, that's what I get for not paying attention. Though Uncle Qrow would be absolutely tickled._ She reflected on her last training session – Qrow was determined that Ruby be able to deflect bullets with the shorter, back side of her scythe. His chosen method of teaching that particular skill involved mobile training dummies, a semi-auto dust pistol, and for some reason a kilogram of thermite, a ridiculously bright explosive created from a combination iron powder, fire dust, and a third component he wouldn't tell her about. Something to do with lethality.

He'd never shut up about her doing so well in that exercise, and then tripping over a _doorstep_.

The small scythe-wielder shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and completed her ingress. Waving casually to the shopkeeper, she wandered towards the back wall, past the rows of dust boxes, to where she knew the new _Weapons Monthly_ issue would be.

Picking up her favorite magazine and beginning to page through it, she reached into her pocket and idly raised the volume on her now-stable headphones. _This Will Be the Day_ was always a favorite of hers.

* * *

For Roman Torchwick, the city of Vale represented everything he hated about the world. Lazy layabout citizens, cramped streets, and crumbling buildings all displayed to him in vivid detail what was wrong with life on this god-forsaken spit of land. People who wanted things all to themselves, but unwilling to spend the time or effort to get those things. Not enough space, everything crowded together in an endless grind to make money. That same money and effort not being put back to good use, and the world falling apart for it.

All the better reason to be a thief, right? Make the effort to _take_ those same things, maybe teach the lazier citizens a thing or two in the process. Loss of limb (or even wallet) was a great stimulus in that direction.

Shifting his bowler hat back from his forehead, Torchwick grinned around his cigar. Ah, it was a fine night. The air stank, the crowds were thin, and he had mooks and a target. Never a better night for a heist. Especially given that the shop in question had a stupid name. From Dust Till Dawn indeed. A truly stupid name.

* * *

Ruby frowned slightly, eyes still on her magazine as she felt the shop door open behind her – the joints of the hinges slightly rough against each other – and nearly turned around towards the door as just under a half dozen people – tall, dark, metal and leather – walked in and took up places in front of the poor shopkeep's counter. Her music continued thudding through her headphones, and she resisted the urge to turn it off. _Uncle Qrow said to use situations like this to practice. Can't rely on my ears all the time._

She focused sharply, razoring in first on the space immediately behind her, then spreading her awareness through the small shop. _Three, no… four goons, and a leader_. _Two on the dust dispenser wall, one and the leader at the shop counter, and… the fourth goon is behind me._

"Alright, put your hands where I can see them!" called the henchman, holding his curved saber threateningly towards her.

 _I'm not sure I even deign that a response._

"Hey! I said hands up! Now!"

 _How rude. Can't he see I'm reading this magazine? Peacefully, even!_

The mook behind Ruby roughly pulled at her shoulder, triggering a slight frown on the red-hooded girl's face.

"You got a death wish, missy?"

Ruby turned with the pull, looking up at the mook's face. "Are you… robbing me?" she asked tentatively. _Yep, this guy is a terrible thief._

"Yes!" he replied.

 _Wow. Yeah._ Ruby smirked. "Oh. Well, then." And with that, Ruby jumped up, and – faster than the mook's eyes could follow – kicked towards the wall, then flipped around and smashed her left boot right into his nose.

With a loud, tinkling crash the storefront window shattered at Ruby and the hapless mook catapulted through it. The black-adorned henchman fell the to the ground, moaning and cradling his now profusely-bleeding nose. Ruby planted her feet firmly against the asphalt, turning simultaneously towards the door.

The other three henchmen and their leader crashed out of said door, the three mooks brandishing her swords.

 _Wow, the leader's got an ugly hat._

Ruby wrapped her presence around herself, then exploded her aura outwards through the street. Her four now-opponents shivered unknowingly.

 _Alright… bogeys at twelve, two, and three. Looks like hat-guy is just watching._

The nearest mook, recovering from his momentary shudder, charged the young huntress-in-training.

 _Palm strike._

Ruby lashed out with Crescent Rose, unfolding it as she followed through with her swing. At the peak of the arc, the flat of the blade connected solidly with the mook's torso, throwing him back behind the leader. Ruby took no notice of his fall, however, already focused on her next victi—ah, opponent. The second mook, undeterred by his compatriot's unhappy fate, had tried to run to the red girl's side and attack from there.

 _Standard slash._

A quick swing of her massive blade and the second mercenary flew back as well.

 _One more._

Searching for the last mook, Ruby swung her perception wildly through the street, listening for footsteps. She'd lost track of the last one! Turning back towards the store, she found herself face-to-face with the sharp end of a red, curved saber. In a panic, she jumped backwards while pulling Crescent Rose, now fully extended, towards her.

 _Shit._

Unluckily, the blade engaged with the mook's torso, pulling him towards her while also cutting deep into his skin. His resulting, pain-induced spasm was enough to tear the saber from his grasp…

…and embed itself directly into Ruby's thin, crimson-sheathed chest with a neat _snick_.

… _shit._


	3. Siegfried II

**Entropy**

 **Siegfried II**

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing of RWBY, and I regretfully am not gathering any sort of monetary compensation for this work. Both of those rights belong to Rooster Teeth.

* * *

Ruby moaned softly, mournfully feeling around where the saber's blade entered her thin chest. Patting the area, she felt blood flowing from now-opened ribcage and through her shirt, down to the asphalt.

 _Well, there's a new scar for the collection._

Trying to broaden her senses from the immediate pain, the red-hooded girl frowned. Wait… there was no pain. This should've hurt. It should've _really_ hurt. But where there ought to have been at least some discomfort, there was… nothing. Then, she noticed something truly uncomfortable.

 _I can't hear anything…._

Grimacing, Ruby cast out her senses to try to find the slightest hint as to what was going on.

 _Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing. No no no no no –_

Nothing. As a last resort, Ruby gathered her Aura once more and exploded it outwards, bathing her surroundings with a pall of energy.

What she felt was… astounding. She could sense the sword in her chest, the last mook a few feet away on the asphalt in a pool of something she'd rather not consider, the hat-guy leader standing several paces away, the shopkeeper looking through the window….

And while this she could all usually feel… they were all still. There was no movement. It was as though… time had stopped.

The scythe-wielder shook her head, and reconsidered. No, no, not stopped. Just very, very slow. Turning slightly to observe the fallen mook, she noticed that he was still moving backwards, but… very slowly. _If anything,_ Ruby mused, _it's like when I use my Semblance – my perception speeds up, Qrow says, so that I don't hit anything. Is this… is this more of my Semblantic ability?_

Another thought occurred to her.

 _Am I just moving_ really _fast right now?_

She moved her hand back up to her chest, thinking furiously.

 _Huh. Now what?_

* * *

For one Weiss Schnee, it was a very strange day.

Now, this was not an unordinary occurrence. Indeed, strange days were rather a hallmark of her time spent in her father's grand manor.

This day was particularly strange, however, since her shadow kept disappearing at irregular intervals.

 _Not for very long, mind,_ Weiss thought to herself, a slight frown marring her face. _But every hour or so, it disappears for a couple seconds, and then it's right back again…._

Quite the conundrum indeed.

 _And there it goes again. Now what?_

* * *

Yang brought a hand to her temple, trying to alleviate the ridiculous headache plaguing her. She started when she noticed her hand catch fire when she brought it away from her head again. She plunged it into the barrel of water next to her and amused herself by watching the patterns in the steam.

 _This can stop soon,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

To an attentive guard, moving shadows would be quite alarming.

Fortunately for Blake Belladonna, the guard on duty was rather inattentive indeed, and so she was able to use her Semblance to shift herself across the open hallway entrance without any alarm.

 _You'd figure they'd notice the randomly appearing shadow._

Deciding to simply forge onward, the dark-haired ninja resumed her infiltration mission.


End file.
